Rwanda shuts down more 43 churches

In a statement, the Ministry of Local goverment said the suspension of the faith-based organisations follows an inspection exercise to assess the compliance.

KIGALI | The Rwandan government has suspended operations of 43 more churches as its crackdown on places of worship continued.

The latest number adds to a pile of file containing the list of places of worship that were shut down numbering in thousands.

In a statement, the Ministry of Local goverment said the suspension of the faith-based organisations follows an inspection exercise to assess the compliance.

"Another 43 FBOs [faith-based organisation] that have been operating from 18 districts have been suspended due to failure to meet legal requirements," the local government ministry said.

The Kigali government launched a crack down on nonregistered faith-based organisations on July 28 with the Association of Catholic Organisations in Africa reporting on August 17 that more that 5,400 churches had been suspended.

The two-week nationwide operation conducted by the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) was aimed at enforcing regulations against churches that lacked proper infrastructure and hygiene standards, as well as those operating illegally.

“This is an ongoing nationwide operation for those churches that remain non-compliant with the law,” Usta Kaitesi, the RGB chief executive, told the media on August 15.

“As RGB we are not deterred by any effort in the pursuit of having proper standards of places of worship. The idea is that people should understand that these are not healthy ways of worship.”

In Rwanda, the law requires that places of worship operate in an orderly and secure manner. It prohibits the use of loudspeakers and mandates that all preachers undergo theological training before establishing a church to ensure the safety and tranquility of worshippers.

Although Rwanda is a secular organisation with the right to religion and freedom of worship guaranteed by Article 37 of the Rwandan constitution, the Kigali administration runs a water-tight public policy for which pnly the President and his immediate family appear exempt from scrutiny.

Churches are regulated with a Pontius Pilate scrutiny that encompasses noise pollution, hygiene and conduct.

To register a church, one must fullfill a plethora of requirements set out by RBG.

They must submit the names of the legal representative and their deputy, their responsibilities, full address and their CVs.

They are also required to file their criminal record certificates of the legal representative and the leaders must possess a bachelor’s degree in religious studies or bachelor’s degree in any field with a valid certificate in religious studies issued by a recognised institution.

The Kigali administration argues that regulating churches is meant to safeguard citizens from exploitation by unscrupulous persons promising miracles and other dream fulfillments in life.

This recent move represents the most significant enforcement since the 2018 law regulating places of worship was implemented. When the law was enacted, approximately 700 churches were closed.

In recent years, Rwandan President Paul Kagame has expressed concerns over the proliferation of churches, particularly in the capital Kigali.